Hugh Hefner's Reputation Takes Another Huge Hit

This article contains discussion of sexual assault. 

Hugh Hefner was one of entertainment's most polarizing figures. He created the infamous Playboy magazine in 1953, which went on to become a multi-million empire, per Biography. Described as the leader of sexual revolution, Hefner was most famous for creating playmates — young, sexy women who showed off their bodies in nude photoshoots — and even documented his life living in the playboy mansion with playmates turned girlfriends, Holly Madison, Kendra Wilkinson, and Bridget Marquardt in "The Girls Next Door" during the early 2000s.

While Hefner gained a certain level of celebrity during his time with Playboy and on television, people had a lot of opinions about him and his brand of business. Some believed he helped revolutionize America's attitude towards sexuality, whereas others thought he built his career on the objectification of women, according to the BBC. While Hefner died in September 2017, his reputation still continues to take hits as more information has come out about his alleged behaviors with his playmates.

New disturbing allegations have been made against Hugh Hefner in A&E's docuseries, "Secrets of Playboy." Susie Krabacher, a playmate in the 1980s alleged that Hefner groomed her and gave her drugs when she first moved into the mansion. "I want you to know it's safe here, and I want you to know that you can do anything you want," Krabacher recalled Hefner telling her, per People. She then alleged that Hefner gave her a pill after she mustered the courage to ask him if she could be the Playmate of the Year. "I don't remember if I even said anything to him about Playmate of the Year. I woke up with him on top of me," she recalled. "He was naked, and my pants were off, my pajama bottoms were off. I thought that I was having a nightmare because it didn't seem possible." Krabacher said the assault left her wanting "to die."

Hefner's "predatory" behavior did not stop with Krabacher. His ex-girlfriend Sondra Theodore said on air that Hefner had a "skeleton key" to every bedroom in the mansion, and he could choose to sleep with whoever he pleases. His valet, Stefan Tetenbaum, said the process was "you have sex with him, and then he passes you around to his friends."

The admissions lines up with what Holly Madison previously told the "Call Her Daddy" podcast (via Us Weekly) that Hefner would ask playmates to sleep with him before they could move in and likened the mansion to a cult.

If you or anyone you know has been a victim of sexual assault, help is available. Visit the Rape, Abuse & Incest National Network website or contact RAINN's National Helpline at 1-800-656-HOPE (4673).